The objectives of this conference are the following: (a) to bring together a group of investigators who have contributed consistently to areas related to the role of salt (NaCl) in health and disease; (b) to highlight important problems and critical directions for further study and development; (c) assess the physiological consequences of excessive dietary ingestion of salt; and (d) to publish the results of the symposium so that others either directly or peripherally interested in this subject area will have access to the information. The conference will be organized on a multidisciplinary basis so that a cross-fertilization of ideas and information in the broad area of salt intake in health and disease can occur. The information gained from the conference should be of importance to a broad range of individuals, including practitioners and scientists in medicine, epidemiologists, physiologists, psychologists, food technologists and behavioral scientists.